PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING

PS&S was contracted to design a Public Safety Building on one of the last remaining sites along the main entrance road of this warehouse and office center development. The building was to provide a very strong image for visitors to the campus, a beacon for the Center and the Edison Police, Fire and Emergency services. PS&S provided full architectural and engineering services for the project, including site evaluation, survey and geotechnical investigation, site engineering, architectural design and documentation and, structural, mechanical and electrical design.

THE CHALLENGE

The site for the Public Safety Building is encumbered by both isolated and connected wetlands, as well as a rail line right-of-way. The project called for a police station, fire station with emergency services, and a large health and exercise facility to be used by the police and fire department staff, as well as the general population of the Business Center. The building provided a broad program to include offices, conference space, full service kitchen & dining, sleeping rooms and high bay storage for fire trucks and ambulance.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

The design positioned the building close to the main road, so that police and fire presence were quite evident. The police department occupied the 1st floor, and the fire department plus emergency services occupied both the 1st and 2nd floors. The fire equipment room has large glass doors so that it is highly visible at night, and parking is provided on the street side of the building for police patrol cars for the same reason. The building materials are metal and brick to clearly indicate the modern character of this building and to connect it to the rest of the business center. The remainder of the site is to be developed as a small and tranquil park to be used by the Public Safety Building occupants and other Business Center employees. The isolated wetland will be developed into a small lake with natural edges as a wildlife preserve, with a jogging trail winding through the natural landscape.